Tibet Group Visa (Enter Tibet from Nepal)
What is China Group Visa (CGV)? What are the certificates shall be applied if enter Tibet from Nepal? How to get to Tibet from Kathmandu? How to apply for the China Group Visa? Many foreign tourists, including overseas Chinese who are travelling to Tibet from Kathmandu, regardless whether by land via Gyirong Border or by direct flight, have the same question. This article would provide answers on how foreign tourists travel to Tibet from Nepal, including the relevant certificate application, and the way of tour etc.
Nepal has not only shared borders with Tibet, but is also a tourist center in Southern Asia. According to the regulations of the Tibetan government, all international tourists who are entering Tibet from Nepal, whether by plane or by land, need to apply for a China Group Visa at the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu in order to enter Tibet.
What is China Group Visa?
The China Group Visa is a kind of single entry and exit visa issued by the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu to foreign tourists who need to travel from Nepal to Tibet. The Group Tour Visa is very special, it must specify all the places to go, it is difficult to postpone, and the tourists must be in and out as a group.
Unlike a normal group visa, which is about the size of a passport, a China Group Visa is a piece of A4 paper with a list of all the group members (including name, sex, date of birth, nationality and passport number), date of entry into Tibet and date of departure from China.
All the members of the group are held in duplicate. One copy is recovered by the customs upon entering Tibet, and the other copy is recovered by the customs upon leaving China. All members must enter and leave together at the designated time and place.
Note: If you want to travel from Kathmandu to Tibet by land or by plane, you need to apply for a China Group Visa. Even if you already have a Chinese visa, your Chinese visa will become invalid. You can only travel from Kathmandu to Tibet by group visa.
How to apply for China Group Visa?
According to the current regulations, foreign guests to travel to Tibet, must be unified by the travel agency to arrange the use of vehicles, tour guides, and qualified hotel. Therefore, it is relatively easy for foreign tourists (including overseas Chinese) apply for China Group Visa. Generally, the tourists need to book a Tibet Tour one month in advance at latest. China Group Visa application can be applied after your arrival in Kathmandu.
Step 1: Firstly, you only need to scan a copy of your passport to us, we can use a copy of your passport directly to apply and obtain the Tibet Travel Permit (TTP) and Invitation Letter in Tibet Tourism Bureau. It takes 7 – 10 working days to finish the first step.
Step 2: When we get the invitation letter, will send the e-format via email to our co-operative travel agency in Nepal. Therefore, you at least shall be arrived in Kathmandu on 3 working days in advance, our partners will meet with you in Kathmandu, Nepal to assist you to fill in the Group Visa Application Form and collect your passport and original white-background photos (48 mm X 33 mm) consistent with passport photo size of 2 inches.
Step 3:The local cooperative in Nepal will send all the required documents to the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu to apply for your China Group Visa. It takes 4 working days for the regular process and 3 working days for the urgent ones. Note: When planning a trip to Nepal or Tibet, allow enough time (at least 3 working days, the embassy doesn't work during holidays) to ensure you get a visa
Step 4:After getting the China Group Visa, our local cooperative travel agency will return the visa and your original passport back to you.
Note: But under the latest policy, the embassy will no longer issue China Group Visas to any individual for international visitors who are planning to enter Tibet from Kathmandu. Instead, it will only be given to a group of at least five tourists who must travel within China together through pre-arranged travel agencies.
For solo travelers or groups of less than five people, there is no need to worry about getting a China Group Visa. As an international travel agency, we have a large number of inbound customers from Kathmandu. We can pool our resources and invite you to join a tour group to obtain a Group Visa. If you have booked a tour with us, our travel consultant will work with you to provide you with a seamless Group Visa from Kathmandu to Tibet.
How long does it take to apply the Tibet Group Visa?
Currently, it takes 4-5 working days to apply for a China Group Visa in Kathmandu, and 3 working days to apply for an Urgent Visa. For example, if you hand in the materials before 12 o'clock on the same day, you can get them in the afternoon of the third day. You can only take the plane to Tibet on the morning of the fourth day. (The embassy is closed on holidays and weekends)
What materials should be prepared for applying the China Group Visa:
1. Original valid passport
2. 2-inch (48mm X 33mm) recent white background photo as the same size as the passport photo
Contact information of Chinese embassy in Kathmandu:
Address: Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Nepal
Telephone No.: 00977-1-4419389
Fax No.: 00977-1-4414045
Website: http://np.chineseembassy.org/eng/
E-mail: chinaemb_np@mfa.gov.cn
Working hours: Monday – Friay,
Morning 9:00 – 12:00; Afternoon 14:00 – 17:00
Group visa fee standard:
| Nationality |
Ordinary
( USD/P ) |
Urgent
( USD/P ) |
Extreme Urgent
( USD/P ) |
Service Fee
(USD/P) |
| US Citizens |
USD160/Person |
USD175/Person |
USD195/Person |
USD20 |
| Canadian Citizens |
USD140/Person |
USD155/Person |
USD175/Person |
| Nepali Citizens |
USD37/Person |
USD51/Person |
USD58/Person |
| Romanian Citizens |
USD100/Person |
USD115/Person |
USD135/Person |
| Serbian Citizens |
USD35/Person |
USD60/Person |
USD72/Person |
Albanian Citizens &
Micronesian Citizens,
Pakistanis, Maldivians,
Bosnia, Herzegovina |
USD37/Person |
USD55/Person |
USD75/Person |
| Montenegrin |
USD61/Person |
USD79/Person |
USD115/Person |
| Other Citizens |
USD70/Person |
USD85/Person |
USD105/Person |
Note
1) Different nationality shall correspond with different application charging price. The above is the reference price. If the embassy price has been adjusted, it will float accordingly. Please contact our travel consultant for the latest price.
2) The Nepal travel agency will charge a service fee of US$20 per person
Besides China Group Visa, what certificate still need to deal with, when travel to Tibet from Nepal?
China Group Visa has just been equivalent to you as you held a China visa just, other requested certificates are no different as if you enter from other cities of mainland China.
Necessary documents I: Tibet Travel Permit
Issued by the Tourism Bureau, the scanned copy will be sent to your mailbox after the completion of the application, and the tour guide will hold the original Tibet Travel Permit waiting for you at the Gyirong Border or Lhasa Airport.
Necessary certificate 2: Border Pass (Frontier Pass)
The Border Pass will be issued by Armed Police Tibet Frontier Corps in Lhasa. When we apply the Tibet Travel Permit for you, we will also apply for the Border Pass, and the Border Pass will be carried by your tour guide throughout the whole journey, and the guests do not need to take it with them).
Certificate 3 (optional): Alien's Travel Permit (PSB)
For those who are ahead for Nyingchi, Shanna has to apply the extra certificate of the Alien’s Travel Permit
Certificate 4（optional）：Military Pass
For those who are ahead for Pomi, and Ngari have to apply the extra certificate of the Military Pass
Here are some points to be noticed before applying for a China Group Visa in Kathmandu:
Note 1: Your original passport will be kept in the embassy for 3 working days and returned together with the China Group Visa on the 4th day. During this period, you can travel in Nepal with a photocopy of your passport.
Note 2:China Group Visa application is only accepted on weekdays, which is from Monday to Friday.
Note 3: China Group Visa application must be submitted to the embassy before 11 am and the visa will be issued in the afternoon of the fourth day.
Note 4: Chinese embassy does not accept group visa without original passport. You need to bring all the complete documents and 2 white-background photos (please consult with your travel agent for the size of the photos).
